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A 34-year-old Chatham man was sentenced to jail on Thursday after pleading guilty to swindling a pawn shop and assaulting a man during a home invasion.

In his statement of facts, senior Crown attorney Randy Semeniuk told court Steven Vynckier cashed an Ontario Works cheque for $720.10 at a King Street pawn shop on Feb. 3 and then told the agency he had lost his monthly support payment.

Semeniuk said Vynckier was issued a replacement and Ontario Works ordered a stop payment on the original cheque.

On Aug. 3, the Crown stated the defendant and two other men visited a Patteson Avenue residence to collect a debt.

Court heard the occupant was struck on the head and his computer was stolen.

Ontario Court of Justice Paul Kowalyshyn sentenced Vynckier to 60 days on the fraud charge and four months on the assault charge to run concurrently, less 36 days of pre-sentence custody.

The defendant was also ordered to pay $741.88 restitution to the pawn shop during his 18-month probation.

The judge told Vynckier being dishonest with Ontario Works is like, “taking money out of your own pocket and others that require it.”

The 27-year-old was asked to leave his family home and there is no shelter in town, defence attorney Frank Retar told court.

Mark Caron called a family friend to pick him up and when he did, court was told the accused asked to try on one of the man’s rings and ran off.

“I am fully disappointed in myself,” Caron wrote in a letter to the court read by his attorney.

Noting the defendant’s prior record, Justice Kowalyshyn sentenced him to 45 days in jail minus nine days pre-sentence custody.

“Let’s hope this is a turning point for you,” the judge said.

Caron was also ordered to make restitution for the stolen ring.

Rampage adds to jail time

An 18-year-old Chatham man will spend 15 more days in jail for going on a rampage between Sept. 8 and Oct. 6 that included breaking into a woman’s apartment, stealing her alcohol and cigarettes, and lighting papers on fire while making a threat to burn her place down while she slept.

Court heard a pre-sentence report that Allan Deacon showed commitment during custody to stop drinking alcohol and to start appropriate medication prescribed by a psychiatrist.

A judge added an 18-month probation period that included the young man attend counselling for anger management, alcohol and substance abuse.